


As Good as a Feast

by SailorSol



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-03-15
Updated: 2011-03-15
Packaged: 2017-10-17 00:16:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/170889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SailorSol/pseuds/SailorSol
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Martha has a moment to talk to Rose, and comes to an understanding that she's not just a replacement.</p>
            </blockquote>





	As Good as a Feast

**Author's Note:**

> "Enough is as good as a feast." -- _Mary Poppins_
> 
> Takes place during _Journey's End_ , before Rose goes back to Pete's World.

She never could understand what the Doctor had seen in this girl--a shop girl from London, never got her A-levels, brash and always wearing too much make-up, roots showing in her peroxide hair. _Common_. Raised in council estates by a single mother who could hardly hold down a job long enough to provide for the two of them. What did this girl have that made her so _special_?

"You're brilliant, you know." And that's when Martha realized that Rose was jealous of _her_ , and Martha started to understand.

"Me? Nah. No different than you."

"S'not true. You're _smart_ , Martha-- _Doctor_ Jones. You're smart, and you've got your own flat, and you've got your mum and dad, you've got Leo and Tish. You're strong and tough and absolutely _brilliant_." And coming from her, of all people, that should have stung, but Rose was so honest and open.

"You're brilliant too, you know." She had to be, after all, or he'd not be so in love with her.

"Me? No, I'm just a shop girl. Nothin' special about me."

"You're wrong, you know. You still _dream_ , bigger than any of the rest of us. You believe in a way I can't, with my fancy education. You're different than the rest of us." This makes Rose blush, as if she honestly didn't know, as if she really thought she was just another companion, despite all the evidence to the contrary.

"He likes that you're smart. You can keep up with him more'n I can." And again, she can't help but think how very little Rose resembles that mental image she had of her for so long--cold, hard, _perfect_ ; but she suspects she should have known the Doctor would have only fallen for someone as _human_ as Rose.

"He likes explaining things. Makes him feel important." Neither girl can help but smile, that special smile of two friends with a great secret. And that's when Martha realizes for the first time that she does consider Rose as a friend, or maybe even as a sister, despite all their differences. And she wonders about the Doctor's other companions, how they're all a family, even if they'd never met, because they're all brilliant and they all share the Doctor.

And she finally realizes that this is okay, because while she might be smarter (and maybe prettier) than Rose, and maybe the infamous Reinette had all her fancy dresses, and Sarah Jane never stopped asking questions, and Jack would always be there (the only one who really could give the Doctor forever), each of them were special to the Time Lord, and he didn't exaggerate when he called them brilliant. And she had that much, at least, which was more than most could say.

And that was enough.


End file.
